VIDEO: The Communiversity Groundbreaking

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A new place to learn and new job skills in Lowndes County.

Dirt turns on the groundbreaking of the Communiversity, which could help bring more business to the area.

The Communiversity represents a partnership between the business and education communities.

It’s a work-force training facility that East Mississippi Community College will run.

The idea of a ‘communiversity’ has moved from a napkin sitting on a table, to the prairie of Lowndes County.

“I’m just thinking about the students that are going to come through here, and when they do, the impact they’re going to have on their families and on their community. I mean, it’s going to be a difference maker. We believe this is a game changer right here for the Golden Triangle,” says EMCC President, Dr. Tom Huebner.

Visionaries of the school say this fertile ground is a natural fit to keep economic development and workforce development growing in the Golden Triangle.

“As we’ve grown, as we’re prospered, we’ve brought these advanced companies in here. Workforce and workforce development and training continues to be an increasing of importance,” says GTR LINK CEO, Joe Max Higgins.

Students will come from all walks of life, from those just getting started, to people looking for a new career path.

The over 145,000 thousand square foot facility will be between EMCC’s Mayhew campus and PACCAR.

“It’s going to be able to accommodate thousands of students because when we partner with business and industry, and we’re teaching the skills and the things they need in order to be successful, this is going to be the facility that’s going to be able to do that for them,” says Huebner.

Federal, state, and local agencies played a part in the over $42 million dollar project.

Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Harry Sanders says the Communiversity is a huge win for the area and the state.

“Not only do the counties win with the industrial development, but the students win with the people who are going to EMCC, coming to, getting, learning their trade, and not only that, they can trade with them anywhere they want to go.”

“It’s a joint effort with lots of people who have skin in the game, who have an investment in this part of the world,” says Huebner.

Communiversity is expected to be completed in the fall of 2018.